The Hunchback of Hufflepuff
by frodoschick
Summary: Quasimodo is a Squib whose Uncle is ashamed. He wishes to join the other students on the grounds at Hogwarts. Will he break free with the help of two Gryffindor students, Clopin and Esmeralda, or will be be forever locked away?
1. Chapter 1

Thanks so much to Crispy-Gypsy's avatar. It totally inspired me. Ask me for the link if you want to see it. It won't show up here. (sob!)

* * *

Dedication- Crispy-Gypsy. She rules!!

* * *

Disclaimer- I own nothing. Absolutely nothing.

_P.S. You can flame if you feel lead to do so...I'll feel sad, but your opinion will be there..._

_P.S.S. This is totally unrelated to Harry Potter, except that it happened in the past of Hogwarts and the Weasly twins are telling about it. And the legend of Clopin._

* * *

It was a winter's night, cold...windy. Snow-flurries rushed past windows, promising a good foot of snow in the morning. The morning, however, was far off. In the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry and Ron were playing Wizard's Chess...kind of. As in, they stared at the board, thinking of anything else to do. There was no Quidditch practice, Lavender wasn't there...in short, they were bored.

"Queen to E-3." said Ron, barely even looking at the board. Harry didn't even react as Ron's queen masacred one of his pawns. In fact, his last pawn. Ron yawned.

"Check." Harry studied the board, fervently wishing Peeves would come along, shake things up a bit.

"Knight to C-10." he said, playing with one of the broken red pieces he had on the side-lines. His knight waltzed right into the path of Ron's Queen.

"Queen to C-10." said Ron. Harry winced slightly as shards of the Knight showered him.

"Screw this!" he suddenly said, getting up and going to the fire.

"Yeah." said Ron, leaving the Chess set to reorganize itself. "God!! I'm so bored!!"

"Yeah," agreed Harry. "I wish something exciting would happen."

"Then today's your lucky day!!" came a very familiar double-voice from behind them. Fred and George Weasly came vaulting over the back of the sofa, landing cat-like in front of the astounded boys.

"We're going to tell you a story."

"A legend."

"A legend that is so famous...even we haven't cracked it's records."

"Wait." said Ron, although relieved of boredom, was rather suspicious of his brothers. "Why are you going to tell us a story?"

"Because we want to?"

"Can't we tell our own brother and his friend the story of our inspirations?" The twins were pulling the most ridiculous faces, so Harry and Ron had to give in.

"Fine!" said Ron, placating them. "Tell us the story. But let me get some sweets first. I want some fudge or something." Harry went with him and they soon returned with all sorts of sweets. Hermione was now seated in the presence of the Weasly twins, laughing at something they said.

"We're back." said Ron, dumping his armload on the table. Fred and George produced Butter-Beers and gave one to everyone. They cracked them, eating the sweets and chattering.

"So," said Ron, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Hermione gave him a disapproving look. "Are you going to tell us the story or not?"

"We will, Ronald."

"Patience is a virtue."

Ron growled. "Wait, I want to hear this story too." said Hermione, setting her Butter-Beer down gently. "What is it about?"

"A tale of mystery-"

"Amusement-"

"Betrayal-"

"Teachers-"

"Students-"

"Boys-"

"Girls-"

"Romance-"

"And murder." finished Fred. Everyones' mouths dropped open. (By this time, Seamus, Dean, Pavarti and an OC named Jessica have joined them).

"REALLY?!" everyone shouted.

"Naw, the last one was just to mess with ya!" teased Fred, his eyes glowing with mischief. Everyone groaned. Fred and George smirked.

"The tale we will tell,"

"Is called,"

"The Hunchback of Hufflepuff!!" they shouted together.

"But the best guy is named Clopin."

"Completely crazy."

"In a good way."

"Like us!! In fact he's our inspiration." said George. He winked at Fred.

"Most definately."

"One thing that you must understand..."

"...this was a long, long time ago."

* * *

_And so the story begins..._

* * *

"-And the same goes to your mother!" shouted a dark-skinned boy dressed in Gryffindor colours at the retreating back of a Slytherin girl. His friends, other dark-skinned boys and girls, most dressed in Gryffindor colours (some in Ravenclaw) laughed. The boy laughed with them, his beginnings of a goatee darkening his chin.

"Yet another fan-girl gone." said a beautiful Gryffindor girl with a head full of black curls. "I honestly don't know what attracts them to you, Clopin."

"It's his devilish looks and charm, Esmeralda!" said a Ravenclaw boy, adjusting his glasses. Clopin smirked, laying out on the lawn, his single gold hoop glinting in the sun.

"I am _so_ glad that it's the week-end. I have _way_ too much homework." complained another Gryffindor girl, twirling her black hair around a finger.

"I can help you with that." said a Gryffindor boy, sidling up to her and grasping her shoulders. She giggled, swatting him away.

"Get off, Janof!" she laughed. He smirked, leaned over and kissed her.

"OO-ooo!!" said all the gang, laughing. Suddenly, one of the Ravenclaw kids happened to look up at the Hogwarts castle.

"Oh, Pine-nuts, Professor Frollo is coming!" Janof and Geneviève quickly broke apart and everyone whipped out books. They pretended to study.

"-And that's how equilibrium will be achieved...Oh, Professor Frollo. How do you do?" asked a Gryffindor girl by the name of Anastasia. Frollo, one of the oldest teachers at the school (he taught Transfiguration), glared down at Janof and Geneviève. He completely ignored Anastasia's question, addressing the two teenage lovers.

"You both know the rules of the school, Mr. Antone and Miss. Hilltop. No P.D.A." He spat out the saying as if it were a curse word. And not just a word. "Detention for two days, my office." He turned and stalked back up to the castle, cloak billowing behind him.

"I can't stand being in his office." shuddered Geneviève. "He keeps looking at me."

"Don't fret." said Janof, putting a protective hand around her waist. "If he tried anything, I'm gonna punch him and damn the consequences."

"That's right. Who does he think he is?" said Clopin, turning over on his stomach, picking at some clover. Leaves fell from the tree fell over them, showering them with the reminder that the school year had just started. They sighed, gearing themselves up for another year of Frollo's injustices and bad grades with good food. The food was really good...it almost cancelled everything else out.

* * *

Quasimodo stared at the gang on the ground below. He was up in his own chamber. He was, in fact, a Squib (but only a small one. Spells worked, but sometimes got out of control). Frollo, his uncle, allowed him to come to Hogwarts and learn from him as long as he did not go outside of the chambers that Frollo had given him. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful, he was!! It was just...the other kids looked so free. He wanted to go down and go to the Green-houses, go to the Observatory, even the Owl Tower would be satisfactory.

He wore Hufflepuff colours, his robes custom made for his hunched back. He also had a mole or wart over one eye, causing it to be smaller than his other one. He sighed, turning from the window, going back to his desk. His Potions book was open, he was studying one of the level five potions. Maybe Frollo would let him make the potion later.

"Hey, hey, hey, why the long face Quasi?!" said one of the three little statues on his desk, coming to life.

"It's nothing, Hugo." said Quasi, picking his book up again.

"Don't say it's nothing." said Laverne, coming to life herself. She shook off the magical residue, brushing her gargolye arms off. "If it's bothering you, it's bothering us."

"True as blue." said Victor, shaking off the cat's whiskers that Quasi had accidentally given him when he was practicing transfiguration. "We're here, though all things. Cat whiskers and all!"

"I'm just wishing I could go outside for once. I want to see the Green-houses, that's all."

"Why don't you?" asked Hugo.

"Uncle Frollo told me not to. He'll stop teaching me if I do."

"What he doesn't know, can't hurt him." said Hugo.

"But he'll find out, he always does."

"He doesn't have to find out." said Victor, looking out the window himself. He saw the Gyspy gang underneath the trees. He smiled. "I bet you'd like to study with that bunch of teenagers down there."

Quasi blushed. "No, no, not really." Hugo chuckled.

"You draw them often enough." Quasi quickly touched his sketchbook, to make sure that it was still there. He opened it, looking at the drawings that he had done over the years. Kids fighting, girls gossiping, teenagers kissing, boys playing. It was all there. Including the scenery from his window; the Black Lake, the Dark Forest, the Green-houses. Everything. He touched the sketch of Clopin, arms spread to the sun, twirling with his head tilted upwards. Clopin made the best subject...Quasi looked about him, looking at the various hiding places for his sketchbooks. He had two underneath the mattress, one on the book-shelf, and three in the closet.

"I can't help it." he mumbled, blushing. "They just make such good drawing material."

"Quasimodo?" called Professor Frollo from the doorway.

"Y-Yes, Uncle?" he called back, quickly hiding his sketchbook, as his three friends turned back to stone.

"I've brought some pumpkin juice and sandwiches. Perhaps you could show me your progress over lunch."

* * *

Please, please, please be kind!!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks so much to Crispy-Gypsy's avatar. It totally inspired me. Ask me for the link if you want to see it. It won't show up here. (sob!) (it's on deviantART)

* * *

Dedication- Crispy-Gypsy. She rules!!

* * *

Disclaimer- I own nothing. Absolutely nothing.

_P.S. You can flame if you feel lead to do so...I'll feel sad, but your opinion will be there..._

_P.S.S. This is totally unrelated to Harry Potter, except that it happened in the past of Hogwarts and the Weasly twins are telling about it. And the legend of Clopin._

* * *

"Please Headmaster! Please!" said Clopin, papers stuffed underneath his arms as he sat in a chair in the Headmaster's office. Headmaster Callaghan smiled at his young charges, all ten of them as they sat in the extra chairs that he conjured. Clopin had even removed his earring for this occasion.

"I afraid that I can't agree to it if I don't know what it is." Callaghan said, hands folded in front of him, a smile darting about his eyes.

"Sorry, sir. Got a bit ahead of myself." said Clopin with a grin. One of the girls elbowed him hard. He rubbed his ribs as another boy snatched the papers out of his armpit and laid them on the table in front of the Headmaster. The main one, the largest one, was a replica of the Hogwarts grounds, from the castle's entry way to the Black Lake. Except for one thing. It was full of tents, booths and carnival games. Multicoloured jugglers and flame-eaters mingled with a crowd.

"We would like to have a Festival, sir. The day of Halloween, if that is alright. It'd be an all day event if possible." said the boy, eyes bright with hope.

"Really, Mr. Davis? Show me more." John Davis, as that was his name, showed the Headmaster a list of all the booths, activities and such.

"-And of course-"

"ENTERTAINMENT!" shouted Clopin, as four girls dressed in native Gypsy clothes and four boys dressed in Gypsy clothes started to dance. They spun, leaped, twirled and sang with all their hearts. The Headmaster watched with a neutral expression on his face. Suddenly they stopped.

"_Come one, come all!  
Leave your loops and milking stools  
Coop the hens and pen the mules  
Come one, come all!  
Close the churches and the schools  
It's the day for breaking rules  
Come and join the feast of ...__**Fools!!  
**  
Once a year we throw a party here in town  
Once a year we turn all Hogwarts upside down  
Ev'ry man's a king and ev'ry king's a clown  
Once again it's Topsy Turvy Day  
It's the day the devil in us gets released  
It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest  
Ev'rything is topsy turvy at the Feast of Fools!" _sang Clopin dancing around in a jesters outfit of gold, maroon, purple and black. He wore a mask and hat. Headmaster Callaghan vaguely wondered when he had changed.

"That will the sign to tell everyone to come outside." said John, still sitting by the Headmaster. The Headmaster nodded approvingly.

"_Come one, come all!"_continued Clopin.  
_Hurry, hurry, here's your chance  
See the myst'ry and romance  
Come one, come all  
See the finest girl in France  
Make an entrance to entrance  
Dance la Esmeralda  
Dance!_" A colored explosion and Clopin disappeared, replaced by Esmeralda, dancing with a tambourine and with a crown on her head.

Headamaster Callaghan smiled broadly.

* * *

**_Come one! Come all!  
Come to the Feast of Fools!!  
Lazy folks forget your homework!  
Come see the mystery and romance!  
Halloween, the Grounds  
Come ang join the Feast of  
FOOLS!!  
_**

"I cannot believe that Headmaster Callaghan approved of such shenanigans." said Professor Frollo, showing one of the posters that had cropped up all over the castle overnight to Quasimodo. Quasimodo just nodded, not daring to say that it sounded like fun.

"All those irresponsible children, set loose. I shudder to think."

"W-Will you go, Uncle?"

"I am a Professor, I must go. But I shan't enjoy a moment." he snarled, clanking down his pumpkin juice goblet rather forcefully. Quasimodo quickly cleaned up the spilled drops with his napkin.

"I suppose I must go too?" he asked, not daring to look into his Uncle's face.

"No, you must stay here. Regular witches and wizards don't approve of Squibs. You'd be orchestrated and made an example of." said Frollo, patting Quasimodo on the shoulder when his face fell. "I've worked among these students all my life, and all of them are cold and cruel even to each other."

Quasimodo blinked away one tear as Frollo walked out, promising that he'd come tomorrow and that he'd be testing Quasi on the latest chapter in Transfiguration. Quasi sighed, looking out his window. He could see the Gryffindor students all gathered about Clopin as he was explaining everything with large elaborate gestures of his hands. His smile was huge. Quasi almost wished that he could be Clopin, down there. On the grass. In the sun. Surrounded by friends who laughed when he told a joke. What he wouldn't give...

* * *

"What's going on, sir?" a young Ravenclaw lad named Pheobus asked Frollo, in the week before the Festival. He had been looking out the window at the tents that were exploding in several strategic places. Clopin and a few choice others were building a stage, with two wings. The musicians would stand there, while the others danced or sang on the stage. And for all intents and purposes, Pheobus really wasn't that young. He just was in Frollo's eyes. He was a strapping lad of sixteen, he was broad enough to be a line-backer for football if he were in the United States.

"A Festival." replied Frollo, not looking at the boy.

The boy looked out the window again, sighing. He left a few minutes later, his detention over with. With another sigh (he wished it were Halloween tomorrow) he entered the stairwell, only to hear music. He followed the hypnotizing sounds to a main Hallway, near most of the large classrooms. A girl was dancing there, her raven hair catching sunbeams from the windows opposite.

Her tambourine glinted, the music came from it and the pipes that the Gyrffindor boys was playing. Weird, a goat was dancing about her ankles. She laughed, dancing with her goat. Pheobus smiled, admiring the girl and her goat. He noticed a hat, where Sickles, Knuts and a few Galleons glimmered. He reached into a pocket and pulled out all the change he had. He tossed it into the hat with a (hopefully) macho turn of the wrist. The girl smiled at him.

A sharp whistle cut the air. The music stopped and the boy and girl made to run off. The goat grabbed the hat, spilling coins all over the ground. It bleated, the girl turned back. She only had a few coins in her possession when two Syltherin students (Seventh years) came up behind her. To her credit, she showed no fear.

"What'da you want?" she said, putting the coins back in the hat.

"That's illegaly gotten money." said one, a burly boy with pimple marks all over his face. He made a grab for the hat.

"I earned it fair and square!" she snapped, yanking it out of his reach, only to have it grabbed by the other.

"If we say that it's ill gotten, it's ill gotten! Professor Frollo will be most pleased to hear about this!" The other, a skinny girl with not enough meat on her bones, yanked hard. The Gryffindor girl hung on.

"Quit it!" she shouted, tugging desperately. The girl scratched her. The dark-haired girl let go with a yelp of pain.

"HAH!" shouted the girl, holding the hat on high, spilling the coins. Pheobus thought it was high time to act.

"Hey!" he shouted, the two bullies looked in his direction. With that distraction, the girl leaped up and grabbed the hat out of the other's grip. She dashed off down the hall, still with a more than a few coins in her hat.

"Awww...ya let her get away!" said the burly boy, shoving a fist into Pheobus's face. And since Pheobus was taller, he shoved. The boy tumbled head over heels.

"Wait until Professor Frollo hears about this!" threatened the girl. Pheobus laughed as the duo ran away. He had nothing to fear. Frollo didn't care about him. He was just an average Ravenclaw kid. So what? His Quidditch buddies rounded the corner, shouting, laughing and tossing a Quaffle about. They threw it to him, he leaped and caught it.

Life was very good.

* * *

Please no flames. But if I do get them, expect high-pressured fire-hose water to come spraying it.


End file.
